Community councils across much of Courier country have expressed fears that police accountability is being lost, claiming officers now rarely engage with the public.
Police counters are disappearing and local control rooms are being closed, while the use of local volunteer air services, such as the civil air patrol, has been axed in favour of centralised services.
Now community councils across Perth and Kinross, Fife and Dundee have begun to raise concerns about the absence of their local officers from their monthly meetings.
Murdo Fraser MSP said: “By centralising call centres and removing public counters and traffic wardens, Police Scotland are eroding the accessibility of the force.
“PCs do a fantastic job throughout Perth and Kinross but senior officers must ensure that there is adequate cover to allow them to attend Community Council meetings,” added the Mid Scotland and Fife MSP.
Locally, the issue is set to be raised by Lib Dem councillors during a forthcoming meeting with Perth and Kinross area commander Chief Inspector Mike Whitford.
Speaking at a meeting of Perth and Kinross Council’s community safety committee last week, Mr Whitford acknowledged there was an issue surrounding the best use of resources but said he was attempting to make resources more flexible.
Tayside Division commander Chief Superintendent Hamish Macpherson told The Courier: “Police officers will always try to attend community councils meetings where their other duties permit or provide a written report where that is not practical.
“By the very nature of the job they do, officers will on occasion be diverted to emergency or urgent calls which will preclude their attendance.”
In recent months, Pitlochry Community Council has reported the regular absence of local officers and Fossoway and District has pledged to write to Police Scotland to ask for better lines of communication.
Burrelton and District has asked local councillor Lewis Simpson to intervene.
Mr Simpson told The Courier: “Matters have gotten worse since the single force came into being and I know that Scone and Burrelton community councils haven’t seen a real bobby for some time.”
Police Scotland said a total of 98 community engagement meetings had taken place throughout Fife since November.